In My Remains
by Italian Roulette
Summary: Furious that his Lord was no longer his prey, Sebastian abandons the child to return to the underworld. But when he searches Ciel out centuries later, the former butler must face the consequences of his actions. And they aren't what he expected. SebCiel Slight AllCiel
1. Chapter 1

_My, my, folks - it's been a while, hmm? I know I should be getting more to updating Monster and Disarm, but I wanted to get this up here before the thought left my mind. And fear not, Monster's next chapter is in the editing phase, so I should have it up here by the end of the week. Thank you everyone that's been checking this out - Been so wrapped up in school, I hadn't had the time to write, but I'm hoping to redeem that soon - with updates galore, and even more new material. Stay tuned~_

_And on that note - I do not own Kuroshitsuji in any way, shape, or form... It'd be a lot dirtier if I did. ;)_

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Chapter 1

When he'd woken the boy, he'd done so silently, not bothering with the usual playful banter he typically engaged the young Earl with. Whether his master picked up on the abnormality or not, he wasn't sure, but the boy simply sat back with his usual bored expression and allowed his butler to groom and dress him to his known perfection.

He'd dressed the boy in black for a number of reasons, only half of which Ciel was aware of. He was trying his best to remain as passive as ever, but he just couldn't stop his anger from reaching his eyes.

Ciel Phantomhive's soul was now that of a demon's, and as such was forever out of his reach. That sweet, dark, tainted yet still so deliciously pure soul was no longer free for him to devour and the loss was driving him mad.

He wanted that soul!

Damn Claude Faustus! Damn Alois Trancy! And damn that despicable woman, Hannah Anafeloz!

Without them, he'd have been free right now and happily digesting the utterly mouthwatering soul that was his young master, his _Bocchan_.

Glaring at the boy's back as he descended the stairs, Sebastian forced his inner hunger back and realized bitterly that Claude had been right.

He should have eaten Ciel Phantomhive's soul when he had the chance.

And now he was paying for it.

The end of the day saw the devil back at his master's side, his 'death' announcements delivered, the servants dismissed, and his estate boarded up. A part of him commended the boy's decision to leave his human life behind and embrace what he'd become, yet at the same time, he utterly detested it.

Ciel expected him to stay by his side, serving him fruitlessly for all eternity, just as he swore he would.

Sebastian's red eyes darkened as he recalled the promise he'd made to the once-human Earl.

He couldn't keep that promise.

No, that was a lie; he most certainly could. But somehow, caught in the middle of his growing rage, Sebastian Michaelis decided that he simply_ wouldn't_. His anger forbid it and it was his anger that he would obey.

The rage and hate that he was born with revolted violently at the idea of remaining by his master's side – there was no way he could accept doing so, smelling that still _oh_, so tantalizing soul only to know he'll never be able to so much as taste it, even when his very existence craved to rip the boy apart.

He would not stay.

"Sebastian," Ciel's voice called, drawing the elder demon's brooding attention. Among the field of white flowers with the black watered river behind him, the pale boy looked almost angelic, even when his once crystalline blue eye glowed a disturbing shade of red. Once again the tortured anger that wanted to lean over and bite the boy's ear off returned. "Where are we going?"

The devil's own red eyes widen for a second and he stared off behind the boy where he knew the gates of hell stood tall and proud to all those - willing or otherwise - to enter at their own risk. A smug smirk spread over his lips and his hand twitched as his cursed mark picked up the boy's caution at the sudden mood swing almost immediately.

"_We_ are not going anywhere, _Bocchan_."

Ciel glared at his butler, his mind working quickly as he analyzed the crow's tone. "_Oh_?"

"Yes, Ciel Phantomhive," Sebastian smiled charmingly, laughter in his eyes in an expression that would've disarmed anyone else in a second flat. "This is where you and I part ways."

The look of astonishment that swept over the boy's face gave the butler both a swell of grime satisfaction and an uncomfortable twisting in his gut, which he dismissed immediately. Those were human emotions, something he attributed as Ciel's that must have leaked through their contract.

The young earl's expression darkened quickly, defenses rising as he regarded the demon with one fiery red eye. "You don't make those decisions."

"But I do," the tall man continued to smile, a distinct tone of mockery in his voice. "I swore I would serve you as a human, until you died. Today, you have declared Ciel Phantomhive dead. You are no longer human and your soul is no longer at stake – and I have no qualms with breaking vows with other demons."

"Enough! I order you t-_ughk_!"

Whatever else he had intended to say was halted before the words could make it past his lips as Sebastian appeared before him, one gloved hand wrapping around the boy's neck and trapping any further sound from escaping. The black haired man leaned down and trailed his nose along the others ear, ignoring how Ciel struggled to pry his gloved hand from his throat and escape the crow's suddenly treacherous grasp. Hunger surged through his system as the same tantalizing scent washed over his system and Sebastian almost shivered in delight.

The boy still _smelled_ human, for now at least.

The reminder made the demon frown in childish anger.

"I don't like losing, Ciel, as I'm sure you're more than aware of by now. That being said, I have no desire to be your dog when I have nothing to gain in return. I'm sure you understand, don't you?" he purred, lips brushing against Ciel's ear as he spoke. The boy gave a pained choke in response. Once more the butler's mouth stretched into a smirk before he turned and bit into the middle of the boy's ear lobe, tearing off a hunk of flesh and cartilage and barely containing his chuckle of delight as the boy thrashed in muted pain.

Chewing slowly, the crow savored the taste of his young master's flesh and blood, thoroughly enjoying the fact that he still tasted as delicious as he smelled. He entertained the idea of eating the boy anyways, but decided against it.

Tasty or not, eating fellow devils usually tended to end worse than anything else for demons.

Losing interest in the boy's struggles, Sebastian swung his arm back and hurled the earl across the field, only half amused when the child bounced and rolled with the force of the impact, the sweet air he had only just regained knocked violently from his lungs.

"I grow bored of this," he shrugged nonchalantly, shedding himself of his coat, vest and tie. When he was free of the bothersome articles, he raised glowing vermillion eyes to meet dim violet flickering blue. "I bid you farewell, Ciel Phantomhive. See you in hell."

"S-Sebastian!"

But the crow didn't respond as he disappeared in a whirlwind of feathers and fire. All that remained of the man that had been Sebastian Michaelis were the butler's discarded left glove, his bleeding master, and a contract left unfulfilled.

* * *

_Yes, a rocky start, but I've actually chugged right along on this one, so updates should be fairly often, should people want them, of course._

_Sooooo, what do you think? Is this worth continuing or shall I give up on it in favor of other work? Please let me know - I do so love all kinds of input~ :)_

_~L_


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello, my dears~_

_Been a minute, hm? I honestly was surprised with the feedback I got from this - it really boosts my drive when I see so many people reading my work, I wanted to make sure I got something out as a reward. Now, this chapter is short, but I tried combining it with the next chapter and it just didn't fit so well, so I decided to keep it as it's own little slice. Reviews will get the next piece up faster and I promise it will be longer._

_Specially thanks to those whom reviewed the last chapter, including **Guest 1**, **Aservis Roturier**, **Heavens Crow**, **Blackitten13**, **Thegraybluekitten**, **narutopokefan**, **thatonecosplayer**, **Guest 2**, **ItsRandom**, **cynthia2012**, **Guest 3**, **DarkShadow1215**, **Shimmering Pearl**, **promocat**, **Guest 4**, **DarkSecrets666**, **xoxohanaChan8998**, **ilovechocolatemorethanyoudo**, and **Picas Lei-Fur**. You all are utterly fantastic and have my eternal love and gratitude for taking the time to actually give me feedback. Love you all~_

_Without further delay, I do not own Kuroshitsuji but onward with the story~_

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Chapter 2

No sunlight. No air. No sound. Nothing possible to disturb him and yet Sebastian Michaelis still found no rest.

Scowling deeply, the dark haired man rose from where he'd been lying and glanced down at the body beside him. The other didn't move, not that he expected her to.

He'd eaten her soul earlier in the evening – a foolish price she had given in exchange for merely a week of companionship. She'd given her life to be held and intimate with someone whom cared nothing for her beyond eating her soul, only to sob in misery as they'd reached the designated time and he turned to collect.

The weakness in it all disgusted him and his face twisted into a sneer as he stood from the bed and began searching for his clothing. He paused half-dressed before the mirror to examine his chest where the contract mark had been; satisfied to see the dark symbol had disappeared already.

Sighing in relief, the crow ran his left hand through his hair only to stop midway through the midnight locks, his eyes zeroing in on the back of the offending hand. Releasing the silky strands, he drew the limb down to examine closer, a certain blankness slipping over his face and his shoulders slumped.

The contract mark – Ciel's contract – still branded the pale skin of his hand, and it would continue to until the day either himself or Ciel passed on. It'd been over a century since the night he'd abandoned the boy, but not nearly as long since he'd thought of him.

No, not a single day had gone by that he didn't stop to think of his young master; wonder if he was fairing alright on his own, taking care of himself, and so on. At first, he'd been furious at his inability to keep the damned boy from his mind, but over time that anger had faded. Yet, not until it was apparently a decade too late, it seemed.

Ciel Phantomhive was nowhere to be found.

Trailing his fingers over the star pattern, the devil recalled the mark at its former brilliance; when Ciel was always near and open to his influence, when he had complete trust in Sebastian as both his butler and his friend.

Before the demon had left him to die.

For the first two years after his departure, the mark had seared with his master's anger, the order to return nearly weakening Sebastian to his knees some days. By the third year, the boy stopped calling, but his anger still burned prevalently. At seven, the loneliness set in. And by twelve, Ciel Phantomhive had somehow managed to block him, leaving Sebastian completely blind to the child's where abouts and emotions.

At first Sebastian had been relieved, thinking that he would finally be able to keep the young male out of his mind now that he wasn't constantly lingering in the back of his consciousness.

But when that connection remained closed after ten years, the demon's curiosity got the best of him. But when he reached out, Ciel's defenses were much stronger than he'd thought, because the boy eluded him completely.

And that'd when Sebastian began to lose composer.

Where the hell was his master? A century later and he still had no idea. And the devil was about to go mad.

His young master was somewhere without him, completely uneducated on how to survive as a devil and at the mercy of whatever the armies of hell, heaven and earth threw at him. And all the once-phenomenal butler had of the boy was a faded contract, memories, and the distant reminder of the Earl of Phantomhive's flesh on his tongue.

Glancing beyond himself in the mirror, apathetic vermillion eyed the body that laid dead on the mattress behind with hidden thoughts. If anything, he was glad he'd gotten the chance to eat despite how unsatisfying the soul had been. He may have only tasted Ciel's flesh, but the taste had been unforgettable, leaving anything else to pale in comparison.

The thought made the devil return to his dressing efforts with a purpose this time.

Now that his hunger had been managed for the time being and the side contract complete, he could return to his continuing search for the late Earl of Phantomhive.

Stepping out of the small loft apartment, Sebastian ran a hand through his hair as he set off down the streets Barcelona. The Spanish city had turned up nothing during his short yet thorough search, but the call of the glowing lights on the horizon – lights that only one of his kind could see – spoke more to him than anything else had the last few decades.

Odd considering that he was certain he'd already searched the city at least twice in the past, yet he knew the boy would not leave Europe if he had the choice. But something in his very instinct told him to return. And that seemed more of a lead than he's had so far.

Tugging a plain grey fedora low over the crown of his head, the porcelain faced devil left the aged place behind him with all the strength of a man determined.

He was Paris bound now.

* * *

_So, what says you? Yes, I know, I know, it's very short, but the next one shall be long to make up for it... If the reviews so call for it~ With the next chapter being so long and all, I may require some... motivation... ;)_

_~L-sama_


	3. Chapter 3

_Well, hello again, all!_

_Long time with no updates, hm? I will admit my only excuse with going on vacation and working, so there is really no excuse for this other than extreme laziness. I fear my only defense is the extremely taxing nature of my TWO DIFFERENT JOBS that tend to wipe me out. I shall try to redeem this for the next update._

_I'm happy to see so many people still actively reading this. It does always inspire me when I see that and thus I have written the next two chapters via paper and pen between shifts just to make sure I was taking advantage of that inspiration. All I need is solid time to type them and edit, and once I get that, I should have the next installment up._

_But do keep in mind that I am also working on Monster, Hide and Seek, as well as all of my Lunaescence work, which is entirely seperate from my FF work. That and I should probably attempt to beat my writers block for Disarm into submission someday soon, hm? Regardless..._

Just some small dialogue notes here:

"This is regular speech."

"_Italics with regular quotations are French_."

_Italics with no quotation are thoughts._

That should cover everything, but if I've missed something, do let me know and I'll try to explain it in the next chapter.

_That being said, special thanks to all of the beautiful people that reviewer chapter 2 - you all made this chapter happen and got my off my ass to post it! This includes_ **CLLyons**, **The****DevilsKitten**, **Jisca**, **SatanicLucifer**, **cross-over-lover232**, **Svaneaalka**, **Sun**, **Blackitten13**, **Calli-fanfic2881**, **Hono no tenshi**, **Narutopokefan**, **Lazerqueen88**, **Thegraybluekitten**, **dragonfire04**, **TheAwesomePandaChan**, **ItsRandom**, **singergirl01**, and **Guest 1**, **Guest 2**, and **Guest 3.** _ All of you are amazing and you have no idea how much each and every review makes my day. Please enjoy this and I hope you continue to follow the story!_ :D

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Chapter 3

It was evening when he reached France, the sparkling bell of Paris lit up brighter than an English Noble's ballroom. Sebastian's heart lurched in his chest as he recalled those social gatherings, or rather, the look that would flare to life in his Ciel's eyes as he watched the dancing nobodies, glaring hard at any and all that approached him where he would stand beside his once trusted butler.

The memory carried other petty thoughts with it – silly things that he would once scoff at or merely refuse to acknowledge at all as a principle. The memories whisper through his mind like a breeze as he walked the old cobblestone streets, yet they stung at his mind and conscience like angry wasps.

He wondered what the boy looked like now; did he still carries his late father's youth-stricken face? Did he still look down his pale nose at those beneath him with that blue, blue eye he got from his mother?

Did his right eye still glow an eerie amethyst, marking his soul with the corruption of their contract?

The questions never truly left him despite their extended separation, nor did the memory of those mismatched eyes of the young Earl, doomed from the day he was born to live his life in the darkest shadows. That beautiful blue iris in the devil's memory suddenly bled red, the round pupil reshaping and stretching into a slit before it narrowed into a heated glare.

The black haired male swallowed the lump in his throat he hadn't known was there and combs icy fingers through his wind tousled hair.

He wondered if the boy glared at others with _those_ eyes the way he had on the night he was left to die.

The thought of another being even getting close enough to his master to see such an unguarded expression unsettled Sebastian enough to where he began to fidget, smoothing his jacket over his abdomen as if to smooth a waist coat. The effect is wasted on his adaption of modern clothing, but his plain white button-up always submits to his palm's nervous motion regardless.

He had so much to redeem for when he finds the elusive creature that his master had become, the list growing ever-longer with each day spent apart from the boy's side. But he'd long since accepted that, among the top marks on that list, included making sure that no other being other than himself ever got the privilege of being that close to the boy again.

Not quelling the undeniable pleasure such a train of thought brought him, the tall male ducked into a decent looking tavern (by his standards, at least) to recollect his thoughts and establish his game plan. He'd originally thought it best to begin his sweep of Paris upon his arrival, but somewhere in the course of his travels, Sebastian decided to assume a different approach to his search. Tomorrow he would begin the actual foot-work, but tonight, he would prey on the vulnerability the human race left too easy for him not to take advantage of.

He glided through the dim building, passed the intoxicated patrons and awed waitresses until he seated himself in the back and turned calculating eyes on the openly staring population of Paris.

If Ciel Phantomhive was here this time around, he would find him – other that he was totally certain. The mere idea that the boy had been able to evade him for so long already cut his patience short and it took much of his resolve to keep the occasional panicked thought from his head.

For the world's sake, he certainly hoped it was Ciel's doing that kept himself hidden from the world, because if Sebastian found out otherwise, nothing living in heaven, hell, or any realm would be able to stop his quest for vengeance – regardless of fault.

So he merely told himself it was only a matter of time until he found his beloved master, because he would keep searching until he did.

And with memories of his master and the sweet taste of his flesh on his tongue haunting his mind, the devil slowly began planning exactly how he would pick apart this city, piece by filthy piece.

**xXx**

Three days in and Sebastian was reminded of exactly why he'd always disliked France. The red eyed male had almost forgotten why England had looked so appealing centuries ago and he was vastly disappointed to learn that the overly romantic country was still as quick to annoy him as it had every time he'd been.

In fact, he dared to say that the last time that he'd even vaguely enjoyed Paris was the short trip in which he'd attempted to remove himself from his masters side once before in favor of hunting fallen angels. He made a mental note to never return here once he found his master…

"_You look lost, Sparrow_," a velveteen voice purred off to his left and Sebastian actually had to make an effort to keep from rolling his eyes._ Another one already?_ And yet, as he turned his lips stretched into a confident smile, eyes gleaming in a way he knew would make this new woman listen to any suggestion he might make as if he were God himself.

The thought amused him so much, he'd nearly laughed for real._ How disgustingly boring._

"_I can assure you, madam, I am much bigger than a Sparrow_."

Wide brown eyes blinked at him for a moment at his flawless french before the woman laughed, Sebastian raising a dark eyebrow as the blonde's shoulders shook with her mirth. "_My, my – a dirty boy, indeed_!" she grinned as her laughter died down and her eyes darkened in the rainy street's lamplight. "_My favorite kind. So, if you're too big to be a sparrow, what might you be, friend_?"

_Most certainly not your friend, human_, his mind answered separate from his mouth as his lips twitched in amusement. If only she knew… "Though I prefer not holding a comparison to something as harmless as a_ bird_, if you must receive one, then I'd have to say…" he trailed off in English, debating why he was even humoring the woman who'd obviously held no worth to him outside of an unsatisfying snack he could use to pass time. "I'd say a crow, I suppose."

Another bought of silence followed the conclusion before the woman laughed once more, not nearly as boisterous yet no less genuinely amused as Sebastian watched her. "A raven?" she repeated in thickly accented English, clearly not having spoken it in years. "My, that's a first, not everyone thinks t-!" She froze suddenly, whatever she'd intended to say dying on her rosy lips as lively brown eyes met his gaze and her train of thought died on a pence. Sebastian rose his brow once more in question as her own puckered in confusion and it took a great deal of will power to keep himself still as she leaned closer to him, invading his personal space as she studied his eyes with a gaze more curious than anyone else that had noticed them before.

"_Well, I'll be damned_," she muttered in French, so utterly fascinated, she'd spoken her thoughts out loud before switching back to English. "And here I thought I'd never run into another person with red eyes. Looks like they're more common than I thought."

That definitely caught a flash of interest in the devil. "You've seen red eyes before?" _And lived to tell about it?_ he unconsciously finished in his mind as the woman busied her hands by fishing out a cigarette and lighter from the contents of her purse.

"Mm," she smiled fondly on the subject, remembering something that made her smile and Sebastian frowned deeper. The memory of a demon made her smile? "He was a good boy. When I first met him, I thought he'd had blue eyes, but they were actually a very pretty red."

Sebastian felt the blood in his veins run cold. "… a boy, you say?"

"Oui," the blonde nodded, raking her fingers through her messy hair while her free hand lit the cigarette she'd stuck between her lips and then dumped her lighter back into her purse. She then brought the hand that had fought through her tangled mane to her breasts, holding her hand horizontally with the palm facing down for a moment before raising it a smidgen. "He looked small for his age; only came up to about here. He was with his mother, I think, but she looked very different and her eyes were green."

The level of her hand was level with Sebastian's chest, about where his heart would be and exactly where Ciel's head had once reached before he'd been left to the mercies of hell.

The similarities were too great to ignore, his instinct too desperate to write her claim off as nonsense and he was too thorough a man to pretend this woman was too daft to make up such ludicrous tales just to throw him off track.

"Where is this boy now?" Sebastian caught himself asking before he could control himself. He knew the probability of this being his Ciel were slim, that the chances of this woman having no idea what she was talking about too high and was merely sent by the heavens to cruelly tease him with illusions of some brown eyed little shit that could never _hope_ to compare to his master on his lowest day. But he couldn't stop the need to see for himself, not when he'd been searching for so long with nothing to tell him that Ciel was even _alive_ beside the way his cursed brand refused to dissipate.

He shouldn't get so hopeful, but he did. And as much as he was sure he'd be damned later (not that he wasn't already, mind you), at least he would be certain he hadn't been so close, only to let his master slip through his fingers once more.

"Now?" the woman parroted and the tall demon resisted the urge to turn violent and torture the information out of her. "It's been quite a while since I've seen the boy… Ah, but I still see his mother from time to time at Le Wine House near the tower. Why do you ask?"

_Le Wine House_. Yes, he knew of it; he'd stumbled by it on his first sweep of the love-struck city decades ago. He'd noted the day he got into town that it seemed to be one of the few businesses that remained since the time he'd set foot in Paris before he'd ever met Ciel.

Figured that the secret brothel would still be in business.

"Monsieur Crow?"

Red eyes blinked back into focus and it took a moment for Sebastian to realize he'd zoned out long enough for the woman to be flicking the dying butt of her cigarette to the ground as she stared at him with a curious expression. A sly smile stretched across the devil's face as Sebastian turned his eyes toward her – the twin rubies nearly _glowing_ with pleasure as he watched to woman squirm under his gaze, suddenly nervous by the expression as he shifted his attention.

"Congratulations, mademoiselle, you seem to have _something_ watching out for you this evening."

"W-what?"

"I was going to eat your soul for disturbing me, but it seems that you have given me a lead far more satisfying than a meal could ever be."

"Wait, I don't-!"

The sudden crash of a vendor's cart and a produce truck colliding nearby drew the blonde's attention before she could finish her sentence, and the startled woman frowned at the scene for a moment, trying to translate the sudden feeling of panic that was attempting to overtake her system. The oddity of the two vehicles colliding in the emptiness of the Parisian streets at night held her gaze for a moment more before she turned back to Sebastian, only to release a small sound of surprise when she noticed him gone.

Glancing left and right, her confusion intensified as she found him nowhere in sight among the vacant streets and that nervous energy that had gathered in her stomach jumped up into her throat as if there was something critical she had missed. Just as she was about to scurry away to the safety of her home, something small caught her eye from her peripheral vision and she bend down to lift the thin object, studying it carefully before brown eyes registered its importance with shock.

A small group of nearby raven's shrieked in amusement.

"_C-crow_…"

The ravens continued to squall their laughter as fear finally seized the woman and she took off, running as if something from hell was after her.

Behind her, the single sleek black feather fluttered back down to the ground where she'd found it.

**xXx**

Sebastian Michaelis liked to consider himself the best of the best in any trade, his detective work being no exception. After all, a Phantomhive butler that couldn't master any task necessary to please his master wasn't worth his salt, and he was simply one hell of a butler.

And as far as devils went, the only other demon he'd ever met that had posed any real competition to him had been one Claude Faustus, and with that four eyed spider still pinned beneath the century old rubble that Hannah had dragged him under the last time he'd seen him, that left all competitors far, far below him.

Literally.

A tiny part of him had once felt sorry for his former rival as it had missed the old thrill the devious bastard had given him, only to become a captive in that wretched woman's web.

Crimson eyes scanned the evening lounge with distaste, once more frustrated with the lack of results he'd received so far. A part of him knew he should just cut his losses and move on to the next place; his Ciel wasn't here and he refused to waste time when he had nothing to gain. But every time he thought of leaving, his stomach would churn and flip, his heart would knot in anxiety, and his throat would close in some kind of human-like panic attack.

He couldn't bring himself to leave just yet, something wouldn't let him. Leave it to that damned boy to drag him down from his reign as a notoriously high-ranking devil into a victim of utter obsession, paranoia, and a myriad of other human-worthy emotions. The devil made a mental note to discipline the child for the mess he'd turned him into once he'd found him.

Yes, what a lovely idea that was.

"Forgive me, Monsieur, she's usually here on these nights – she has a weakness for the younger men, you see."

Sebastian glanced down at the sheepish blonde beside him – the same woman that had directed him here. The woman had ventured in and approached him the previous night, her attitude and demeanor increasingly more skittish than the first night he'd encountered her.

"She'll come eventually; it's merely a waiting game now."

"O-Oui."

Sebastian would wait for as long as he had to – anything to get him one step closer to his master.

A loud whimsical laugh sounded across the lounge about an hour later, the new sound something the tall demon hadn't heard yet and the sudden appearance of it struck a chord in his chest that had the male sitting up straight.

How odd, he'd seen no one new enter…

And there was something about that laugh – a woman's, he knew – that stirred memories within his head, nagging and hinting at things that he should know; something he should _remember_. The sound must've gotten the little blonde's attention as well, as she turned to investigate the sound, and a moment later began yanking on his sleeve.

"Monsieur Crow! That is her! The Mademoiselle over there among the men!"

The red eyed devil turned to follow the woman's pointing finger, his eyes immediately catching a cluster of young men straight across the salon. There were people in the way, all male just as the blonde had told him, but Sebastian could see a long, shapely leg extending off to the side of a vintage gold couch. A shiny red heel dangled off that slender foot and the red dress she wore inched provocatively up a creamy thigh just shy of indecent.

Once more a flurry hit the tall man in the back of his mind, something small and old and insistent that he should recall. It was something important – or some_one_ – yet he couldn't for the life of him draw the information from the tip of his conscious.

"Monsieur? Are you alright?"

If Sebastian heard the woman, he showed no signs as he drew to him feet, instead making slow, heavy steps toward that couch, red eyes still locked on that long leg. A leg that whispered to him of blood, roses, and something alluring…

_Ciel._

Something about this woman reminded him of his Ciel.

The recognition of such made the tall devil move a little bit faster, as if this whorish "mother" would disappear at any moment and Sebastian would be damned if he let this clue slip through his fingers like the silk of his master's old night dress.

He could almost see her now, her arm and torso coming into view as she laid back, giggling and pawing at some 20-something lad that appeared utterly enthralled with the being before him. Another few steps and he could see a spill of long bloody red locks lying over a pale shoulder.

And suddenly Sebastian felt his heart rate picking up for another reason. He'd seen plenty of people with red hair in his lifetime, but there had only been one woman with that particular shade.

And she had once been quite close to his Ciel.

Too close.

_You're like my own son._

The whisper of Madam Red's voice in his mind made time slow as he made that final step to be in the mystery-woman's eyeshot.

And then everything clicked into place.

If he'd been mortal, he was sure his heart would've stopped, because nothing could have braced him for what he saw before him at that moment.

Red lips with a sly smile.

Bright green eyes turned to glance at him for just a fleeting second before snapping back with more than a flash of recognition.

Her face, her expression, almost everything about her was the same except for her eyes, and Sebastian would be lying if he said that that didn't surprise him.

Because never – since the day of her death by a shinigami's chainsaw – did Sebastian Michaelis expect to see Angelina Durless alive again.

* * *

_Soooooo, what do we think? Worth it? Axe it? Want to touuuuuuuch it?_

_;)_

_I hope so._

_And before you all jump over me, yes, yes, yes - I am well aware that you are all simply DYING to see our little Ciel and he has yet to make his grand appearance. It's coming. If he is not in the next chapter, he'll be in the one following. I have yet to decide how I shall edit what I have physically written out, so if it doesn't make Chapter 4's cut, then he'll certainly be in Chapter 5._

_Remember that love gets return love in the form of updates, and I am open to any thoughts and suggestions all of you have. Even thought I have this whole thing outlined and am in the process of writing it all out, it is still fun to see what you all think will happen. And some of those guesses even gives me ideas..._

_Looking forward to giving you all more._

_L_


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